Chapter 170

Chapter 170

After the Arkham Cataclysm, the Orlondi Cataclysm, and numerous other incidents, the University of Michigan finally returned to reality.

Of course, there was still much work to be done. Although the Arkhamites' subconscious had been altered by the Ark, with the University of Michigan remaining in their memories, reality was still reality. The sudden appearance of a university in the city would undoubtedly require considerable handling.

As such, the professors were swamped with tasks. The Khamyans, led by Carmen, were also lending a hand. Lane couldn't intervene in these worldly affairs, so he returned to his Divine Kingdom early to attend to his own matters.

Fortunately, just as Lane had learned from the Prophet previously, the University of Michigan's descent once again altered the destinies of many. Upon returning to his Divine Kingdom, he saw a new platform emerge within the Gap of Dreams.

This often signaled the unlocking of new powers.

Without hesitation, Lane stepped onto the fifth platform. As usual, a stone table appeared, but this time, it only held one item, likely because he hadn't gained any new believers.

It was a chain.

Lane placed his hand on the chain, and as before, it quickly vanished. A door then slowly materialized behind him.

Unlike before, however, the door was now entwined with chains, tightly binding it shut. Just as before, Lane understood the power represented by the chain.

In stark contrast to opening doors, this new ability represented spatial confinement, marking an enhancement in Lane's control over space. He could now sense spatial fluctuations from afar and open doors not only where he stood but anywhere in the world. He could also use his chains to forcefully seal space at any location, preventing evil gods from manifesting through rituals.

Of course, there was a restriction to this power: it could only be used in regions touched by divine realms or where spiritual plants existed.

This meant that to completely cut off the possibility of evil gods descending upon the world, one simply needed to sow seeds of spirituality across the globe. The likelihood of such occurrences would significantly decrease.

Isn't this the Second Timeline? Lane mused. No wonder his Second Timeline self chose to convert the entire world into spiritual plants with this ability. It made things much easier, since genuine believers – a prerequisite for planting the seeds – were hard to come by, while turning people into spiritual plants was a far simpler process.

Nonetheless, it was a formidable power. In the future, dealing with evil god manifestations would be much more convenient for Lane. He could simply seal their spaces without even appearing, without needing to open a door.

Moreover, his enhanced spatial awareness allowed him to detect when an evil god was about to descend and their general location. At least, he wouldn't be blindly stumbling in the dark.

With a newfound understanding of his additional abilities, Lane emerged from the Gap of Dreams, returning to reality.

The campus of Michigan University was bustling with excitement. Players, having accepted various tasks assigned by professors and senior students, ran cheerfully around, injecting a vibrant glow into the formerly eerie atmosphere.

Of course, Alders was the center of attention.

After all, it was from him that one could undergo the profession change to become a wizard!

No one could forget the grand prize of the Mysterious Great Arrival quest, the ultimate desire of the common folk – the ability to cast spells.

Cthulhu-themed games typically lacked balance in their conflicts. Players had almost no chance of battling against the Old Ones, let alone defeating a cult. Most likely, they would suffer a total party kill. Just as in the main storyline, where another deity (Lahn) usually took on the task of defeating the evil gods, humans still possessed a means to resist in such a hopeless world.

That was magic.

Previously mentioned, to some extent, whether or not one possesses magic can serve as an indicator to differentiate between new and old cards of investigators. In other words, with magic, players' operations will ascend to a higher level, initially acquiring the power to confront the minions.

Well, I suppose the level of troublemaking would escalate significantly.

Lane thought, his face dark with concern.

However, this was a reward that had been agreed upon from the start. Lane didn't intend to make things difficult for the players. Noticing Alders's dilemma, he conveyed a series of class change quest procedures to him through the Ark.

Alders was startled when the process appeared in his mind, but he quickly realized that Lane was looking at him. He calmed down and addressed the players, "Alright, I understand your request. Currently, there's only one wizard here at Mi University, which means I can only initiate the profession change for two players for now. If you wish to have more of your companions undergo the process, you'll need to bring back the other professors first."

Saying this, his gaze softened as he looked at the players, "Well, once more professors and students return, we'll likely admit another batch of students."

One might recall that Michigan's fall occurred around Christmas, when many professors and students were away from campus, thus escaping the calamity. Due to Sauron sinking Michigan into the Dream World, they had also forgotten the university's existence. It was unknown what they were currently doing.

Now that Michigan was back, it was time to recall these individuals and assign them tasks, providing more quests for the players.

Aldrich's enticing prospects stirred excitement among the players!

Player Forum:

Little Fish Jerky: New! Admission slots!

Yedidia: Sobs, Michigan is finally opening admissions again. I'm so touched.

Please, No More Failing Grades: Hahaha, not just admission slots, but also job positions! Didn't you hear the professor? There are wizards who specialize in different branches of magic among those who left Michigan. The university's strength might skyrocket this time.

Vicious Idol: Of course, Michigan was already renowned in the mystical realm. Sauron's success in conquering it mainly relied on traitors within and the fact that everyone was home for Christmas.

What Are You Looking At?: Regardless, yay! We can enroll in Michigan again! Sob sob sob, I've been waiting for so long.

Death is Unhealthy: I only want to know who the lucky first batch of transcenders are.

Baba: For sure, there must be Black Cat. This time, the script was co-written by God on Earth and Black Cat, and they carried most of it. Unfortunately, it seems that God on Earth isn't interested in joining MIAU.

Shu Shu Hao: Of course! The big guy is currently preparing to establish MIAU's rival school (dying of laughter). As a student? He might as well become the principal!

Ye Ye: I have a feeling that the two schools will end up fighting one day.

Not Crazy: Be more confident, it's definitely going to happen.

Blood Acolyte: I'll join the Heretic School; we'll surely win then.

Tax Collector: Ah, MIAU. Initially, I was quite keen on enrolling, but sadly, I think I'll end up at Brichter University. @Janitor, where are you heading?

Janitor: Brichter University, I guess. Although MIAU is good, I prefer pioneering (lies down).

Security Guard: Same here, Brichter University. It feels like there will be more new players there.

Milk Tea Dog: I'm definitely going with Brichter, our milk tea industry is thriving there!

A flood of lurking players emerged from the shadows, chiming in on the debate about which university to join. Initially, most assumed that Mystic University would have an overwhelming advantage, but surprisingly, there was a considerable number of supporters for Brichter University.

Canteen Auntie: So many new players at New Harbor, huh? It's starting to feel interesting, like there's a faction rivalry going on.

Milk Tea Pup: Perhaps because New Harbor has a considerable player base too. And this school is being built under the auspices of the mighty Deity Among Men. Don't you find it fascinating how players can leave their mark, I mean, make their presence felt in constructing a school from scratch?

Vampire Thrall: Exactly! That's one of the exciting aspects. When the open beta comes, we can brag to all the new players that we built this university!

Madness Not: Hehe, is this Mystic University versus Brichter then? A grand clash between factions.

Beauty is Justice: Hey hey hey, don't forget about the Bureau of Investigation! Don't leave us out, please~ qwq

Seeking Even: Oh, right, there's this faction as well. Almost missed it.

Beauty is Justice: Grr, we're the rightful investigators, you know!

Druid: Ahem, I was one of the lucky few to secure a second profession slot. Professor Alders is about to start teaching us our new roles. Speaking of Mystic University, let me plug it here – think about its library, filled with books like the Necronomicon and the option to become a wizard. Plus, all sorts of profession transfers!

Vampire Thrall: Damn it, Brichter University will have professions too in the future! Don't forget, we're a cult, so we'll have dark magic, forbidden spells, and rituals to summon evil deities. You can still experience the joy of building a school from the ground up!

Advocates from both sides immediately started advertising on the forums, as if they had realized something. After Michigan's arrival, it would start recruiting students, while Blichton University would also attract a large number of newcomers. What was this? This was a battle for players!

It was understandable when there was only Michigan, but now, players had another choice. Who knew if there might be opportunities for factional battles in the future? They hadn't forgotten how the player count had completely dominated in the second version.

If they didn't seize the chance to recruit now, it would be much harder to do so later when faction wars began!

For a moment, supporters of both universities engaged in heated debates on the forums. Spectators found it fascinating, watching as those who entered the game late had the benefit of choosing between two schools.

Not only were the spectators enjoying the spectacle, Lane was also observing the battlefield with great interest, devoid of any anxiety he had felt during the initial faction battles in the second version.

The reason was simple: he was now well-established and no longer feared losing players. Besides, both Michigan and the Secret Church had attracted a large number of players. Even if Blichton University managed to lure away most of the new players, Lane wasn't worried because...

He looked at the desk by his side, where a letter from Carmen lay. It was an invitation from New Port.

Blichton University invited the Secret Church to become one of its trustees.

Interesting. A smile tugged at the corners of Lane's lips. God on Earth was currently overseeing the construction of the school in New Port, and Lane was keen to see their progress.